Vending machine



March 25, 1930.

J. H. WOLTERS 1,751,674

VENDING MACHINE Filed D66. 12, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Anorrzqy March 25,1930. J H, WOLT E S 1,751,674

VENDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1927 S Sheets-Sheet Attorrzqy Ifiguration but may be of any Patented Mar. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES J'QHNIH'U'GO WOLTERS, F LEWISVILLE, TEXAS '"V'ENDIN'G: MACHINE Applicationfiled December 12, 1927. Serial No. 239,475:

The invention relates to an improved vending machine, for various kindsof small articles, and it has more particular reference to a machine ofthis class which is constructed to deliver and discharge onearticle at atime, wherein coin control means is provided to regulate the dischargeof the article vended.

The details for accomplishing this result will become more readilyapparent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete machineshowing the external details.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the same showing theinternal mechanism. 1

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section showing the same mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale of a new type ofcoin controlled 2 device.-

Fig- 5 is a horizontalsection through parts of said device, the sectionsbeing on the line. 55 of Fig. 2.

'Fig. 6 is an enlarged section, taken on the line 6 -6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a retention plate for thedriving gear.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section showing the driving gear and acomplemental actuating section segment which is associated therewith.

Fig. 9 .is a perspective view of said segment.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view based upon Fig.

8, showing the way in which theball clutch operates. Referring to Fig.1, it-will be observed that the numeral 11 designates a casing orhousing which is shown of general rectangular consuitable configurationin actual practice. This casing is provided with a hinged closure 12permitting access to be had to the interior of the closure, the closurebeing provided with an appropriate padlock or its equivalent 13. At 14is a coin intake slot. 1 At 15 is a discharge opening for the articlesor packages to be vended.

The numeral 16 designates a plunger forming a part of the coin actuatedmechanism.

At 17 is a slot through which a pull rod, to

be hereinafter described, extends. Incidentally, this machine ismanually operated.

Referring now to the interior of the easing, and particularly toFigs. 2and 3. it will be observed thatv the reference character-18 5 designatesa rotary drum provided with a v multiplicity of peripheral pockets 19containing the packaged articles 20. which are to be dispensed.Cooperating with each pocket and article is a cross wire 21, having apintle 0 or finger grip. In operation these pockets are brought in astep by step manner opposite or in registration with the aforesaiddischarge J opening 15 in the casing.

The drum is mounted on standards 22 and on one side it is provided witha beveled driven gear 23. Closely associated with the gear 23 is adriving gear 24 which is mounted for rotation upon a standard 25 (seeFig. 8 also). This gear, as shown in the last mentioned figure, isprovided with an opening forming a pocket 26. In fact, the gear isprovided with a series of circumferentially spaced pockets. these beingconstructed for reception of a ball clutch 27 (see Fig. 10).

Between the pockets, and on the under side of the gear are small socketswhich successively receive a small pin 28 on a resilient latch strip 29.This latch strip is disposed in contact with the bottom side of acircular plate 30, the plate being rigidly fastened to the standard 25.

On one side-of the pin 28, the plate is provided with a square dischargehole 31 for the clutch balls. Extending at an angle to the latch strip29 and cooperating therewith is a spring trip 32 having an intermediateraised portion 33 successively received in the pocket 26, (see Fig. 10).This trip 32 is interposed between the latch 29 and the plate 30 has anopening through which the retaining pin 28 extends.

Superimposed upon the gear 24 is a relatively movable segment 34 (seeFig. 9), this segment being formed with a single pocket 35 to registerwith the complemental pockets 26 in the gear. A pull rod 36 is pivotallyconnected to the segment, and extends outwardly through the aforesaidslot 17 in the casing.

55 ing drlve. As shown in Fig. 4,

at which pointit is provided with a knob or handle, as shown in Fig. 3.i

A coiled spring 37 is fastened to this segment and anchored upon. thestandard 25.

Obviously, with this arrangement, and when the pocket 35 is in registrywith one of the pockets 26, and a ball 27 is located in the pocket, apull upon the rod 36 will serve .to impart a rotation to the drivinggear 24.

. This being in meshwith the driven gear 23 will rotate the articledelivery drum,

' Considering Fig/10 for example, it will v be seen that as this segment34 is swung around under the action of the rod 36, the pocket 35 willproduce somewhat of a cam action on the clutch ball 27. This will pressdown upon the shoulder 33 on the trip 32 and their normal lockingpositions.

Means is 'provided for delivering clutch balls one at a time to producethe aforesaid gearing drive. In this connection, attention is directedfirst to a rotary vertical shaft 38 mounted on the aforesaid standardand extending up where it'is associated with a ball containing cup 39and a rotating disk 40. The disk-40 is provided with a series ofcircumferentially spaced pockets which receive the .balls one by one,and this disk is located in a stationary sheath 41.

Inthis connection, it will be noticed in- Fig. 8, that the gear 24 iskeyed through the shaft 38. The balls are delivered. from the cups 39one at a time through one of the openings in the rotary disks40 as wellas the sheath, the same being dropped into an inclined channel-shapedchute 42 fastened to the upper end of an upright 43. At the lower 45 endof this chute the ball is dropped through an opening and into a pan 44(see Fig. 4), which is rockablymounted but held stationary under. normalconditions through-novel coin control means shown in the last-namedHowever," when this pan is set down it drops the ball into the nextsucceeding chute '.45 from where it is delivered to and dropped in thepocket 5 and 26 in the aforesaid gearthe-pan is pivotally mounted on astandard 46. Located in back of this standard is the coin control means.This coin control embodies a tubular chute 47 whose intake end is inregistry with tlie aforesaid coin slot 14 in the casing. 7

At its intermediate point,the coin chute is formed-with an' opening,through which the coins are pushed and allowed to drop 'into areceiver48. Over this opening is a Thus the segment and gear will rotateas swingably mounted cover 49. The cover'includes hooks 5O normallyengaging retaining pins 51 on the chute, and the cover issupported fromswingable wire loops 52 and 53. .In addition, small bracket 54 isconnected therewith, and this carries a cord 55 on which acounter-weight 56 is suspended.

The aforesaid pan includes an extension 'stoppedopposite the closure 49.

Normally the chute has registering open ings as shown in Fig. 5, throughwhich the plungers could move without acting upon the closure 49.However as the coin-drops into this part of the mechanism, it providesan, obstruction which covers the opening. Then by forcing the plunger 59into place, it is obvious that it will strike the coin and push thecover 49 in an outward direction, allowing the coin to drop into thereceiver 48, and also acting upon the pan 44, so that the pan is tiltedto allow the ball which was located thereinto drop into the. chute 45.

To operate the machine, it is simply neces'- sary to place a coin, ofthe proper denomi nation in the-coin slot 14. The coin gravitates downto' the chute 47 in Fig. 4, where it. comes intocontact opposite theclosure 49 and the plunger 59. Under normal conditions, the ball clutchis located in the pan 44.

However, by forcing the plunger 59 inthru the medium of the handle 16'on the outside of the casing, the closure 49 is lifted. This trips thepan 44 and allows the ball to drop into the chute 45. The hall now rollsdown and drops into registering pockets in the cooperating segments' 34and gear 24, as shown in Fig. 10.

Now by grasping the rod 36 and pulling it outwardly, the gear 24 rotatesone step which imparts similar rotation to' the drum 18. through themedium 0% the intermeshing gear 23. This brings the package opposite theopening 15, from where it is removed with the finger.

- This operation, it is believed, will be understood from thedescription and drawings. Also, the advantages. of a structure of thiskind, will be apparent to persons skilled 1n the "art to which theinvention relates. Therefore a more lengthy description is thoughtunnecessary. j

-Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is p 1. In avending machine of the class described, the combination of a'casing, astandard in the casing, a rigid plate on the casing,

a driving member rotatably mounted on the standard and resting upon saidplate, said, driving member having circumferentially spaced ballreceiving pockets, a latch carried by said plate and cooperating withsaid member to hold said member against rotation, a

' cup, means operatively associated with the vertical shaft and the cupfor discharging the ball from the cup, a coin receiving chute providedwith an intake opening and a discharge opening located within saidcasing, a pan rockably mounted on the chute and adapted to receive thedischarge ball, a closure for the discharge opening pivotally mounted onthe chute, means operatively associating said closure with said pan, anda spring pressed plunger adapted to engage with a coin for swinging saidclosure to an open position, whereby said pan may be rocked fordelivering the ball into the pocket of the segment and said drivingmember when said pockets are in registry with each other.

2. In a vending machine of the class described, the combination of acasing,-a coin receiving chute extending into the casing and having adischarge end terminating within the casing, a closure for the dischargeopening in the chute, a member rotatably supported in the casing, a ballretaining cup, means operatively associating said ball retaining cupwith said member for discharging the balls one by one from the cup, apan pivotally mounted on the chute and adapted to receive the dischargeball from the cup,

means operatively associating said pan'with the closure, a movablesegment resting upon said member, said member and said segment beingprovided with pockets adapted to register with one another, manuallycontrolled means adapted to engage with the coin chute, for moving theclosure to an open osition,

' whereby said pan will be moved a out its pivotal connection so thatthe ball may be delivei'ed from the pan into the-pocketof the 1 segmentand said member, when said pockets are in registry with each other.

3. In a vending machine of the class described, wherein the vendingmachine comprises a casing, and a coin receiving chute extendinginwardly fromthe casing and having its discharge end located within saidcasing, a drive member, said drive member being provided with aplurality of ball receiving pockets, a pivotally connected closure forthe discharge opening of said chute, a-

. movable segment resting upon said slide memher and having a pocketadapted to register ;with the pocket in said drive member, a pull rodconnected with said segment, a ball containing receptacle, a discoperatively associated with said receptacle and having a plurality ofdischarge openings formed therein, means operatively connecting saiddisc with said drive member, whereby said disc may be rotated fordelivering the balls one by one from thereceptacle, means operativelyassociated with said discharge closure for receiving the discharged ballfrom the receptacle, a manually controlled means adapted to-engage acoin in said slotfor operating said closure, whereby said last mentionedball receiving means may be actuated for delivering the ball into thepockets of the segment and drive member when said pockets are inregistry with each other, and apull rod con- I mooted with said segment.

4;. In a structure of the class described, a standard, a driving memberrotatably mounted on the standard and resting upon said plate, saiddrivingmember having circumferentially spaced ball receiving pockets, alatch carried by said plate and cooperable with said member to hold itagainst rotation, a ball receptacle, means operatively associated withsaid driving member and said receptacle for delivering a ball therefrom,a coin conerative relation to said receptacle, a segment movably mountedon said drive member, said segment havin a pocket for registration withone of the poc ets in said member, said coin controlled pan adapted tobeactuatedupon the actuation of said coin controlled mechanism fordelivering a ball into the pocket of the segment and drive-member whensaid pockets are in registr with each other, and a ball actuated trip orsaidlatch mounted on said plate whereby said drive member may bereleased all inthe manner and for the purpose set forth. i

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature. JOHN HUGQ WOLTERS.

